Team RadioShack – Done in Calpe, on to Algarve!

By Jeff Ludlum, staff writer

Photo: TeamRadioshack.com

Team RadioShack (TRS) wrapped up its second training camp this week in Calpe, Spain. It was the first time the team was together as a whole since the kick-off camp in Tucson in December.  For team members who’d raced the week prior at the Tour Down Under (TDU) in South Australia, they had the option to skip camp.  Lance Armstrong for one took that invitation from Johan Bruyneel, opting instead to return to Kona (where he’d trained in the weeks leading up to the TDU) for individual training and have more time with family, according to his posts during the week.

Armstrong was joined by riding partners Jimmy Riccitello (an elite athlete and former world-class triathlete), and John Korioth (a cycling brother from Armstrong’s early racing years and fellow Austin resident). Team physiologist Dr. Allen Lim was on Kona as well for some “big training on the Big Island”, as he put it.  Likely on the plan for the week included more tactics and strategy development during training sessions to help Armstrong optimize his performance via successful thermo-regulation, hydration, etc.

For the rest of The Shack, the ten-day camp in Calpe saw several long training rides where the team took advantage of good roads and the moderate winter weather of Spain.   There was plenty of quality team-building time, as well as longer and more challenging work-outs (5 to 6 hours each day in the saddle with some good climbs mixed in).  The riders also were welcomed with the full compliment of official Team RadioShack kits for all types of weather, as well as general team-ware.  The Shack’s looking sharp now!

Team Radioshack’s newest member, Fumi Beppu, joined the rest of the team for the first time, having come available from Skil-Shimano.  Beppu fit in immediately, knowing various Shackers from seasons past.  He was paired to room with Daryl Impey, and they were all smiles and good attitude as camp got underway, evident from this photo posted by Impey on Day 2: http://tweetphoto.com/10555070.  Ben Hermans was also together with the rest of the team for the first time, having missed the Tucson camp due to injury.

Two blood control test visits by ProTour officials during the camp couldn’t dampen the easy rapport, quality training rides and good fun that were evident throughout the week according to several posts.  One such post gave a quick sample of the humor factor that was present:  a “spoon battle” between Beppu and Steegmans was captured after one of the day’s rides for the Shackeratsi to enjoy:  http://www.twitvid.com/F58D0 . Clearly the boys get along well, which should translate to good teamwork during races as the season unfolds.

With Lance Armstrong in Kona and the rest of the Shackers in Calpe, the team had a good opportunity to see some of the other leaders bubble up. As is well-known, several members of the team are lead riders in their own right, including the likes of Leipheimer, Kloden and Horner.  The Spanish camp provided valuable time for the teammates, now a bit more familiar with each other after the intro Tucson camp in December, to put in serious miles, strengthen team bonds, and learn to rely on one another as they’ll need to throughout the season.  At the same time the other veteran leaders had the opportunity to help shape the relationships on the team, furthering the theme that TRS is more diverse and multi-dimensional than merely being “L.A.’s team.”

With the Calpe training camp concluded it’s onward for The Shack, as the season’s pace picks up.  Eight Shackers are headed to southern Portugal for the Volta ao Algarve (in the southern-most region of country). The five-day stage race, held from 17 to 21 February, starts in Faro, make it’s way through more than ten cities covering 726 kilometers, and finishes with a time trial on the last day from Lagoa to Portimao.  Announced recently via biciciclismo.com was the preliminary start list for each team that will be racing.

The TRS squad includes Levi Leipheimer, Andreas Kloden, Gert Steegmans, Matthew Busche, Sergio Paulinho, Tiago Machado, Tomas Vaitkus, and Gregory Rast.  This squad of eight riders should be interesting and entertaining to follow as The Shack looks for a good second outing of the season.  Perhaps Steegmans will get his first stage win of 2010, having just missed with a team-best second place stage finish in the TDU in January?   And who else might find themselves in a breakaway and near the front as the sprint to the line unfolds?

Other teams and prominent racing names include Astana (and Alberto Contador, his first race for the 2010 season), Garmin-Transitions (with David Millar, Christian Vande Velde, and David Zabriske), Team Katusha (with Vladimir Karpets and Robbie McEwen), Cervelo (with Thor Hushovd) and Team HTC-Columbia (and TDU winner Andre Greipel).  Quite a collection of ProTour riders for TRS to battle through the countryside in southern Portugal as The Shack continues to roll in 2010.